Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to communications networks and, more particularly, to networks and methods for providing calling services with automatic speech recognition capability.
2. Description of the Background
Automatic recall service, also known as call return or *69, is a popular calling service offered by many telecommunications service providers. Automatic recall service typically allows a customer to dial a special feature code to receive an enunciation of the telephone number, and perhaps name, of the last incoming caller. The customer is then typically audibly presented the option of calling back the directory number associated with the last incoming call by dialing another special code. Thus, a customer may use the automatic recall service to screen his or her calls, or when the customer is unable to answer a call before the calling party hangs up. The automatic recall service may also be used when a customer does not know the directory number of that caller, but wants to call back the last incoming caller.
According to another popular call screening-type service, typically referred to as the xe2x80x9ccalling name service,xe2x80x9d a called party may be presented with the name and/or directory number of a calling party visually, such as with a display unit including an LCD display, or audibly, by voicing the pertinent information to the called party over the telephone interface. The called party may then route the incoming call as desired by dialing certain codes. For example, the called party may dial one code to accept the incoming call, another code to reject the call, and yet a third code to, for example, route the call to a voice-mail messaging system.
According to either of these exemplary enhanced calling features, however, the customer is required to dial a code to realize certain benefits of the service. For instance, according to the call return feature, the called party is required to dial a code to call back the directory number associated with the last incoming call. Similarly, for the calling name party, the called party is required to dial a code to route the incoming call as desired.
Mandating that customers dial certain codes to realize the benefits of calling services to which they subscribe is not ideal for certain applications. For example, wireless telephone users may be unable to dial codes on their wireless telephones because their hands may be occupied with other tasks, such as driving. Similarly, the hands of personal computer (PC) users may be occupied with tasks such as typing, which do not facilitate the manual dialing of codes on a telephone.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a manner in which telecommunications customers may realize the benefits of enhanced calling features and services without the manual dialing of codes.
The present invention provides a practical implementation for allowing telecommunications customers to speak predetermined voice commands over their telephone to realize the benefits of enhanced calling features and services, thus obviating the need to manually dial feature codes, which is required in the prior art. The present invention may be utilized in conjunction with either landline or wireless telephones. In addition, the present invention may be implemented to provide such voice command functionality for such popular telecommunications services as the calling name service, the flexible call forwarding service, the automatic recall service (also called call return or xe2x80x9c*69xe2x80x9d), call screening services, the name and number delivery service (commonly referred to as directory assistance or xe2x80x9c411xe2x80x9d), and a user interface for the simultaneous ring service.
According to one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a network for providing a telecommunications service with automatic speech recognition to a telecommunications customer. The network includes a switch in communication with a telecommunications device associated with the telecommunications customer and an intelligent resource server in communication with the switch. The switch may be an SSP switch of a central office (CO) of an Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) in communication with, for example, a landline telephone of the telecommunications customer via a subscriber line or, according to another embodiment, may be a switch of a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) of a wireless network in communication with a wireless telephone via an air-interface communication scheme. The switch may detect certain triggering events resulting from communications to or from the telecommunications device of the customer, and route the communications to the intelligent resource server in response to detection of the triggers. To facilitate routing of the communications from the switch to the intelligent resource server, the AIN or wireless network may include a Service Control Point (SCP), which provides instructions to the switch to route the communications through the network in accordance with the particular telecommunications service being provided.
The intelligent resource server includes, among other things, an enunciation module and an Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) module. In response to receiving a communication from the switch, the enunciation module of the intelligent resource server may play an audible message for one of the parties to the communication, which for some services may be the calling party and for others may be the called party, prompting the party to enter a character with their telephone or speak a certain word over their telephone in response to the message to realize the benefits of the particular service. In response to the message, if the party voices the keyword, the ASR module automatically detects the spoken keyword and, in response thereto, the intelligent resource server may process the incoming communication to implement the service in accordance with the instructions associated with the spoken keyword. In addition, the intelligent resource server may include a Dual Tone MultiFrequency (DTMF) decoder module for determining whether the party hearing the message entered the requested DTMF character in response to the message. Similarly, if the DTMF character is detected in response to the message, the intelligent resource server may process the call to implement the service in accordance with the instructions associated with the recognized DTMF character.
For example, for an embodiment of the network providing the call screening service, when a party with a blocked or unknown directory number places a call to a telecommunications customer subscribing to the service, the call may be routed from the switch to the intelligent resource server. The enunciation module may then play a message for the calling party stating that the call cannot be completed unless the calling party identifies itself. The enunciation module may then play a message for the calling party prompting the calling party to indicate whether it chooses to identify itself to the called party. For example, the enunciation module may play a message such as: xe2x80x9cPress or speak xe2x80x98onexe2x80x99 now if you wish to provide your name and/or telephone number to the called party. Otherwise, if you wish to terminate the call, please hang up.xe2x80x9d In response to this exemplary message, if the intelligent resource server recognizes the utterance of one of the keywords by the calling party or if one of the requested DTMF characters is detected, the intelligent resource server may process the call in a manner in accordance with the instructions associated with the detected keyword or DTMF character. The name and/or telephone number of the calling party may then be displayed on a caller identification unit of the subscriber, who may then exercise the option of accepting or ignoring the incoming call.
Thus, with the present invention, telecommunications customers may realize the benefits of popular telecommunications services without having to manually enter codes with their telephones. Consequently, persons whose hands are occupied, such as from typing or driving, may enjoy the benefits of these services without having to cease performing their hand-occupying tasks.
These and other benefits of the present invention will be apparent from the detailed description hereinbelow.